title: A tri-continuous mesoporous material with a silica pore wall following a hexagonal minimal surface.
abstract: Ordered porous materials with unique pore structures and pore sizes in the mesoporous range (2-50 nm) have many applications in catalysis, separation and drug delivery. Extensive research has resulted in mesoporous materials with one-dimensional, cage-like and bi-continuous pore structures. Three families of bi-continuous mesoporous materials have been made, with two interwoven but unconnected channels, corresponding to the liquid crystal phases used as templates. Here we report a three-dimensional hexagonal mesoporous silica, IBN-9, with a tri-continuous pore structure that is synthesized using a specially designed cationic surfactant template. IBN-9 consists of three identical continuous interpenetrating channels, which are separated by a silica wall that follows a hexagonal minimal surface. Such a tri-continuous mesostructure was predicted mathematically, but until now has not been observed in real materials.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, The Nanos, Singapore 138669.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Daliang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Leng Leng
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chng
authors.forename: Junliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Jackie Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ying
mesh_terms: D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D016062:Porosity; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D012822:Silicon Dioxide